The point of TFA seems to me: "do what works for you". If keeping your netbook tidy is at the expense of using it, than maybe that means that doesn't work for you. If keeping your netbook tidy pushes you to write more (or doesn't hinder your ability to write on it) then go for it!

The tidy todo notebook or lab notebook is to offload working memory or keep records.

The chaos notebook is for disorder.

I already know I'm going to annoy some people by saying this, but I've gone through both messy and neat phases of life. Every messy phase was almost entirely forgettable and inexperienced noise. Eventually, I'd find stability in my life and become neat again.

I'm not saying messiness is inherently shameful, but it is absolutely worth looking at the bigger picture to find answers. I probably prolonged the messy phases by avoiding self-analysis. I now realize that it was insecurity and avoidance behavior.

Of course, neatness can also be a coping strategy. I'm intrigued by the author's premise.

> I'm somewhat enamored with the concept of shitty / messy notebooks, like this or this.

It sounds like they want to explore messiness as an aesthetic, not genuinely experience it. I've already said enough to imply what I think about that. I think deliberately chasing aesthetics might be more detached from reality than what I had going on.